A new study from Simon Fraser University challenges the common belief that organizations cannot encourage employees to disclose mental health issues. According to the World Health Organization, 15% of adults experience mental health problems, and other surveys have shown that 65% of employees believe mental health issues affect their work. However, many organizations, even those offering mental health support and programs, view disclosure as a personal decision that they have little influence over.
“This is completely contrary to what we see in the data,” said Zhanna Lyubykh, Assistant Professor at the Beedie School of Business and the lead author of the study published in the Human Resource Management journal. “Organizations can do a lot to help employees disclose mental health issues. It largely depends on how employees perceive the organization’s approach to handling disclosures, and this is completely within the organization’s control.”
The research found that when people feel that their organization provides support, they are 55% more likely to disclose mental health issues to their employer. According to Lyubykh, a supportive workplace means employees not only feel that they will not face discrimination or stigma but also that they can genuinely benefit from the organizational support and programs available to them.
She further explains that the presence of social support—subtle environmental cues that employees pick up on—is the most significant factor in whether or not they feel comfortable disclosing information. Employees notice things, sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously, such as whether they have seen someone who disclosed mental health issues miss out on a promotion, whether their colleagues engage in open and understanding discussions about mental health, or whether a colleague had to fill out dozens of forms over six months before receiving necessary support—and whether that support was effective.
This is a clear example of how actions speak louder than words (or policies).
Lyubykh’s study includes two survey-based studies. The first explored the gap between employees’ willingness to disclose and actual disclosure rates, examining the factors influencing employees’ decisions. The second study investigated the connection between organizational support for mental health and absenteeism rates.
The researchers found that low disclosure rates and employees’ lack of awareness about available support were linked to higher absenteeism, increased anxiety, and decreased productivity and performance. On the other hand, the benefits of a supportive work environment reach across all levels of an organization, from its people to its processes. Lyubykh emphasized that capable employees do not want to remain in an environment lacking support or filled with negativity. In addition to the high cost of such an environment, it can also lead to the loss of high-performing employees, a problem many organizations cannot afford. “If an organization cares about its bottom line, it should genuinely care about the environment it is cultivating because this will be a competitive advantage,” she said.
Given that organizational success heavily depends on employees’ perceptions of a supportive environment, Lyubykh suggests that companies should adapt their workplace surveys to ask more specific questions about employees’ comfort with discussing mental health issues at work.
“This would provide organizations with a solid baseline to track long-term perceptions,” she added. “Organizations have both the responsibility and the power to change the status quo. And change starts with leadership.”
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